A change in the way the police are dealing with the timing of No Further Actions. As a firm with over 30 years’ criminal law experience, we are alert to changes in the way the police behave at certain points of the investigation process. An example of this is the increased frequency with which the…

The final quarter of 2018 was a remarkable success for the Criminal team at Martin Cray and Co. In the final three months of 2018 alone, we achieved a ‘No Further Action (NFA)’ decision from the police in eight criminal investigations. During that same period, none of our clients were formally charged by police when…

In recent figures released by the government it became clearer than ever that early planning for inheritance tax is essential to ensuring your loved ones receive the most of their inheritance when you are gone. Last year, the government income from inheritance tax hit £5.2 billion – an increase of £388 million from the year…

I hope you found the BBC programme about disclosure helpful. The extraordinary reality of every police and Magistrates’ Court case at the moment is that disclosure issues arise all the time. What that means in practice is that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service do not send you the documents, the evidence, that they are supposed…

First year law students at Sussex University demonstrated that the future of the legal profession is filled with outstanding talent when they competed in the Junior Criminal Advocacy final last night. Presented with two tricky sets of papers, the students made well considered bail applications confidently and effectively in front of a panel of judges…

Twice more this week we have seen criminal trials collapse as a result of woeful breaches of disclosure from the Police, HMRC and the Crown prosecution Service. The defendant in the below article faced 3 – 6 years in prison before his trial for VAT fraud collapsed once evidence that should have been disclosed was…

When this happens it can be a tremendous shock, whatever the circumstances. The most important thing to realise is that is not an everyday event and your “conversation” with the police will not be ordinary. The reason the police want to talk to you is very formal and very far from an everyday discussion that…

It must be the most commonly used title for articles and blog posts about wills and probate, but here the cliche is apt. There are all sorts of clever things lawyers can do in relation to estate planning and succession, but often overlooked by clients is one of the simplest: where is the will? Who…

As of Thursday the 18th of August 2016 “zombie knives” will be banned in the United Kingdom following amendments to the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Zombie knives are ornate blades which are regularly printed with images or words which glamorise violence. The ban prohibits the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of the blades. The Home…